Family Togetherness
by BEM96
Summary: With both of their parents aboard, there's no telling what might happen
1. Chapter 1

A/N- I haven't written anything in a long time (not just here, but anything). I was just sort of wondering if I forgot how. ;)

Don't own Star Trek or anything else. Just felt like playing around for a while.

"There will be a reception tomorrow evening, and after the official closing ceremonies of the summit, we will have the pleasure of escorting the delegates from Earth, Sorronia, and of course Betazed back to Betazed for the official signing of the energy treaty," the Captain said with a forced smile plastered to his face.

"Ah, the diplomatic shuttle service," Will Riker said with a sigh.

"Yes, well," the Captain shrugged. "Duty requires us to make the best of it. Counselor," he called looking down the long conference table to where his ships counselor sat quietly tapping her nail on the table. "I think it would be appropriate to arrange certain… cultural…"

"Entertainment?" Deanna offered.

"Experiences… for the delegates to enjoy in their time aboard," the Captain corrected.

Deanna smiled and nodded. "I'll take care of it, Sir."

"I don't think I need to remind anyone that the Sorronian treaty is extremely important to Star Fleet, and the support within the Sorronian alliance is tenuous at best. It will be important that we do nothing to discourage their participation in this."

"You want us on our A game, Captain?" Geordi asked lightly.

"We're ready, Sir," his first officer assured him.

"I have no doubt of it," the Captain said, sitting a little straighter in his chair. "However, I think it will be important to avoid the distractions that may come aboard with certain delegates…" he left the sentence dangling in the air.

Deanna Troi looked up to find the rest of the senior staff watching her. "I'll do everything in my power to control my mother, Captain. That's the best I can promise," she told them with a gesture of surrender.

Geordi and Beverly Crusher laughed at the almost defeated expression of the ship's counselor, but the Captain turned his attention to his first officer seated next to him.

Will noticed the captain's resolute stare, and arched his eyebrow. "I have no intention of antagonizing Ambassador Troi, if that's what you're asking, Sir," Will answered confused.

"Is it ever intentional?" Worf muttered at the far end of the table.

But the Captain shook his head slightly. "As much as I appreciate no one antagonizing Lwaxana Troi while she is aboard, I was referring to…" but he hesitated. "I meant that…" The Captain paused as he studied his first officer. "I assumed you knew," he said slowly.

"Knew?" Riker asked, following his captain's gaze as he glanced around the room to the rest of the senior staff watching them.

"Perhaps we should discuss this later," the Captain fumbled.

"Did I miss something?" Will asked.

"I just assumed he would have talked to you. My apologies," the Captain said, turning again to the group, ready to dismiss them all.

"He?" Will continued. His curiosity was piqued.

The Captain turned back to him, terribly sorry that he had brought it up at all. He let out a small sigh, before he mustered the words. "Your father. He's leading the delegation from Earth."

Will didn't respond. Those around the table were left trying to interpret his facial expression, but even that was rather blank and matter of fact.

"It should be less than two weeks with them all aboard. I'm sure we can find a way to-" the Captain began but his first officer simply shook his head.

"It's fine. It won't be a problem," Will said dismissively, but the rest of his collogues still watched with some concern. Certainly they were aware that the relationship between Will and his father had been strained for years, some times more than others.

"Commander Riker's father _and_ Counselor Troi's mother? Quite the family reunion," Geordi mumbled softly.

"Double the trouble," Doctor Crusher answered.

"Where do you suppose we should hide?" Deanna teased from across the table, but Will Riker didn't seem to be in a teasing mood. He turned back to the Captain perfectly serious.

"It won't affect the mission, Sir."

The Captain looked from his first officer to his ship's counselor with a great deal of compassion. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to have his own father romping around his ship. "I have no doubts," he said kindly. "That is all," he said and the crew around him began to rise from their seats and head off in different directions. Geordi and Data walked towards the far doors, following Doctor Crusher. Worf passed him on his way back to the bridge. "Number one," he called from his seat as his first officer started to walk away. Will Riker stopped dutifully and the Captain waited until the room cleared a bit more. "I am sorry, Will. I thought he would have talked to you."

But Will shook his head, and sighed, before he smiled nonchalantly. "We talked once about nine months ago," he admitted. "Don't worry about it, Sir. Either he didn't think it was important or he completely forgot where I serve. Either way, I'm sure I can do my job."

"I have no doubt of that." The Captain smiled reassuringly as he passed his first officer and headed onto the bridge. Only when he was gone did Will Riker let his smile fall.

"Are you okay?" Deanna asked, though Will had almost forgotten she was still in the room.

"Fine," he said, planting his smile back on his face.

Deanna wasn't fooled. She shook her head gently at him as she walked towards him. "I don't think he forgot where you served," she said softly, resting her hand on his arm.

"It really doesn't matter, Deanna. Maybe we'll have dinner or something, but we just don't talk that much. He'll do his job and I'll do mine," he said with a shrug. "And in a couple of weeks, he'll be gone again."

Deanna leaned back onto the conference table behind her. "Would you think I was a horrible person if I thought that sounded rather nice?" she asked, defeated.

When Will smiled again, it was in genuine amusement. "Want to trade?" he offered and they laughed softly together. "Your mother and my father on the ship and the same time. What are the odds?"

"Knowing our luck?" Deanna asked, then simply shook her head.

"Well we have a whole day before the fun begins," Will encouraged her, putting his arm around her shoulders as he lead her in the direction of the bridge.

"Do you have dinner plans?" she offered.

"Heavy drinking may be likely."

But Deanna elbowed him in the ribs. "That's not funny Will. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Who's asking?" he asked, turning to face her. "The ship's counselor or my friend?"

Deanna hated when he wanted her to distinguish between the two. She scrunched up her face, slightly. "The ship's counselor," she decided.

Will sighed. "I'm fine."

"Okay, your friend," she offered, wondering if she would get a different response.

"He's just my father, Deanna. I'm not going to throw myself out the nearest port hole or anything."

Will was trying to distract her, to make light of the situation, but Deanna could feel it, that lump of dread within him. Perhaps he just needed some time. "Okay," she sighed. "I'll check on you later then," she said, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek lightly. She turned and started to make her way to the far door to head to her office.

"Hey, at the very least," he called after her. "The next two weeks will not be dull."

Deanna almost laughed. "When, on this ship, have our lives ever been dull?" she asked, then turned and walked out of the room.

Deanna tried to get a feel for his mood as she waited outside his quarters that night. She could still feel that lump of dread within him, even from the hall outside. But his voice sounded calm as he called for her to come in.

He was sitting in his chair, reading a mission briefing, but when Will saw her he laid it aside. "Decided to come over for the heavy drinking?" he asked.

Deanna sighed as she sank onto his couch. "My mother has called me twelve times today," she said, rubbing at her temples. "She wants to know what I'll be wearing at the reception tomorrow night. Though apparently anything would be better than my ghastly uniform."

"Ouch."

Deanna only nodded. "I'm thirty four years old, Will, and she still wants to pick my clothes."

"I don't think you look the least bit ghastly in your uniform," he told her. "For the record."

That made Deanna smile. "So have you talked to him at all?" she asked.

"Why would I?" Will asked almost casually. "He didn't tell me he was going to be there. If he really wanted to get in touch with me, he knows how."

"Has is occurred to you that by asking that the Enterprise escort the delegation, he was asking to talk to you?"

Will sat up a little straighter and grabbed for a PADD on his table. "As it turns out, your mother was the one that requested the Enterprise escort the Betazoid delegation."

"Not a surprise there," Deanna muttered. Her mother apparently thought that just because her daughter was aboard, that she could use the Federation flagship and her own diplomatic shuttle.

"No, and all my father requested was that the Earth delegation travel with the Betazoid delegation."

"Maybe my mother just got around to it first."

"Maybe my father is chasing some gorgeous twenty something member of the Betazoid delegation," Will offered in return.

"Because Betazed is full of hot twenty- somethings?"

Will leaned over to her and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "That was my experience, yes."

Deanna was happy to see the laughter in his eyes, as she shoved him away from her. "You're such a child," she chastised him.

"Want something to drink?" he asked casually as he stood and headed towards the replicator.

Deanna studied the PADD Will had left on the table. "Do you suppose they have figured out who the other is?" she asked, looking at the names of the delegates. Surely her mother had caught the same name and similar mannerisms of the two men as she had apparently been at the same conference with Kyle Riker for several weeks. "Do you think that we made that weird for them?"

Will's laugh was colder than he intended. "Do we really care?" he asked.

"They have their own jobs to do, Will. They don't need our… history getting in the way."

Will grabbed a drink and walked back to the couch, settling in next to Deanna. "And yet we seem to be fine working together. Are you suggesting that our respective parents are less mature and enlightened than we are?"

Again his eyes glinted with his playful smile. "It's possible," she admitted. Deanna settled back on the couch next to him. She enjoyed the warmth from him. It was always reassuring to her. "The Captain is really terribly sorry that it came up in a senior staff meeting like that. He's very embarrassed."

"Why?" Will asked. "It's not his fault."

"I know, but he brought it up several times this afternoon. You should tell him that you're not mad about it."

"I did! Twice!"

"I know, just tell him again some time when other people aren't around and he doesn't feel like you have to. Would you?"

Will rested his chin against her head. "Sure, if you want me to."

Will Riker tried not to think about what was coming too much. No matter how much he prepared, he wasn't going to be able to figure his father out. He'd never understood him, and he doubted he ever would.

There were times in the last few years that they had almost broken through the barriers they had build between them all those years ago, but they'd never really managed to sustain it. They were just too different, and after all those years, part of Will had given up, moved on. He liked who he was. He liked the life he led. If his father didn't, well, Will couldn't worry about that. And yet, he couldn't hide that he was a little hurt by his father's distance. It drove him crazy that his father always managed to make him feel like he wasn't quite good enough. He hated that somewhere inside him he still wanted his father's approval.

He'd been dreading it from the moment the Captain told him his father would be there. The political galas were bad enough without having to come face to face with his father. Will tugged on his dress uniform as he headed to the transporter room, his dread growing with every step.

When the door to the transporter room swished open in front of him, he found he was the last to arrive. Dragging his feet, he supposed. His eyes immediately wandered to Deanna standing with Beverly Crusher. Her mother had gotten her way, and for once, Will was glad. He had never thought she was ghastly in her uniform, much to the contrary. He found her to be very attractive, no matter what she wore, but the bluish gray evening gown that fluttered over her shoulder as if there was a breeze in the room was outright stunning. He tugged again nervously on his dress uniform.

"Commander, good of you to join us," the Captain quipped. "I think we're about ready," he said to the transporter chief with a curt nod.

"Maybe it would be best if I stayed behind," Will offered. "Someone needs to be in command."

But the Captain shook his head. "I think Commander Laforge has that well in hand. And I would prefer not to be explaining your absence, Number One," the Captain dismissed his idea. "Commander Data, are we ready?" he asked.

Data was tapping away on the transporter console, before nodding quickly. "Aye, Sir."

That was Will's last way out. He shrugged non-commitaly and followed the group onto the transporter pad. "Don't you look nice," he whispered to Deanna.

"I give it three minutes until my mother criticizes something about my appearance," she answered flatly.

"I say it's even money that my father will be surprised to see me," he replied.

Beverly Crusher turned around to face her friends. "Are you sure you two are ready for this?" she asked.

Deanna slipped her hand into Will's and gave it a light squeeze, and he smiled. "It's just family. How bad can it be?" he asked casually.

The Captain nodded and looked around at the group around him. Data stood puzzling at Commander Riker and Counselor Troi standing behind the others. Beverly stood next to him, pushing her red hair over her shoulder. The Captain took his place at the head of the group, and gave a single nod to the transporter chief, who nodded once in return before activating the beam.

As the light from the beam faded away Will had to squint to adjust his eyes to the dimmer light. There were hoards of people and music and food swirling around the room, and he heard his Captain sigh at the sight of it.

"Deanna! Darling!" Lwaxana Troi's voice pierced through the crowd, and the entire group braced themselves for the onslaught of commotion.

Lwaxana Troi was followed by a throng of aides and other delegates, busily trying to keep up. She paused only briefly in front of the Captain, "Jean-Luc, I see you are well," and then brushed him aside and gregariously clung to her daughter. "Come, there are so many people who are dying to meet you," she said a moment later and began to sweep Deanna off with the crush of the crowd around her.

"Mother," Deanna protested.

"Nonsense! The Captain doesn't mind at all, do you Jean-Luc?" But she never even paused for an answer.

The crowd bustled away from them, having enveloped one of them in their folds. Will hoped Deanna would be able to manage on her own.

Jean-Luc Picard watched Lwaxana Troi make her way in the opposite direction and felt of wave of relief was over him. Typically greeting Lwaxana Troi with any dignity had proven difficult. That in comparison was almost as if he had been ignored. "That was almost too easy," the Captain muttered, glancing around at the remaining members of their party.

"I hope they let her come up for air at some point," Beverly offered as she watched her friend being swept along into the swirl of activity.

"Captain," someone called, and as a group they turned to see one of the Federation Emissaries coming toward them, with the Sorronian Ambassador in tow. "Welcome, welcome. We are so glad to see that you and the Enterprise have arrived. Please, let me introduce Elon Ferrie, the Sorronian Ambassador. Elon, this is Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the Enterprise, and his crew."

The Captain extended his hand. "An honor, Ambassador. Please allow me to introduce my senior staff; my first officer, Commander William Riker," he said gesturing to Will, "Commander Data, who will be attending to any special needs you may have during your time aboard, and Doctor Beverly Crusher, my chief medical officer."

The Sorronian Ambassador glanced at each of them rather coldly. "Charmed," he said dismissively. "Lwaxana Troi indicated that her daughter would be part of your group…" he said glancing at them again.

"Oh, yes, well, you have happened upon us too late. Lwaxana has already swept her away, though I'm sure you'll see her at some point this evening."

"Fine then, Commander Data, was it?" he said turning to Data. "There are a few things I must insist upon to make the journey… tolerable. I would like to go over those details now."

"Of Course, Ambassador," Data agreed.

"Fine. Come with me." He spoke as if he were talking to a servant. "You should be writing these down. Perhaps someone could find you something…"

"I assure you, Ambassador, that I am capable of remembering exactly what you say," Data replied calmly. At times like that, maybe having no emotions was a blessing, Will thought as he watched his friend follow after the pretentious man. Certainly Will would have had to bite his tongue if someone belittled him so easily. He and Beverly glanced warily at each other for a moment, then to their Captain standing with the Federation Emissary.

The Emissary looked awkward. "Sorronians," he said with a nervous laugh. "Ah, yes. One moment," he said stepping away for a moment. That is when Will saw him. His father was more gray than the last time he saw him, stocky and shorter than Will. The Emissary pulled Will's father aside, and brought him over to the group, and Will watched helplessly, trying to read the expression on his father's face. "And Captain, I believe that you have met Kyle Riker, the head of Earth's delegation," the Emissary introduced them and Will watched his father smile politely, though he could see in his eyes that he uncomfortable.

"Yes, of course, Mr. Riker," the Captain offered extending his hand.

"Captain, thank you for agreeing to carry the delegates on to Betazed. I'm grateful for your cooperation."

"Of course. Mr. Data is currently speaking with Ambassador Ferrie about any arrangements the Sorronian delegation would like to be comfortable."

Kyle Riker almost let out a short snort. "Sorronians," he mumbled, then sighed. "Well," he said. Only then did Kyle Riker glance back to where his son stood watching him. "How's my son?" he asked, turning back to the Captain.

Captain Picard looked awkwardly between Kyle Riker and his first officer. "I'm sure he'd he happy to tell you himself, Sir."

"Living up to his potential, I hope?" Kyle asked, ignoring the Captain's suggestion. Will felt his jaw clench, as his heart pounded in his chest as he filled with anger.

The Captain nodded. "Yes. Surely. I… Honestly, I would be lost without him."

Beverly Crusher stepped a little closer to Will and smiled at him kindly.

Kyle Riker nodded and laughed a little under his breath. "Well, I appreciate you keeping him out of trouble. I just don't want to see anything holding him back," he said, his voice growing serious and cold.

"Of course, not," the Captain answered determinedly.

For only the second time Kyle Riker glanced back to where his son stood silently. "Will," he said with a simple nod.

"Dad," Will answered shortly.

"Well, if you'd excuse me," Kyle Riker offered and he turned and walked away, leaving Will with his collogues.

Deanna Troi was across the room being madly introduced to delegates and emissaries when she saw Will's father approach him. She watched the exchange from across the room and sensed Will's flood of emotions. When his father suddenly turned and walked away, Deanna waited until she could catch her good friend's eye. When she had Will's attention, she arched her eyebrow to ask if he was okay, but Will only shrugged indifferently and turned away from her, to greet someone awaiting his attention.

The night went on as most other political soirees. The food was good, but the portions were painfully small. The noise started to wear on the Captain's nerves early on. Polite, yet completely meaningless conversation filled the air and Will Riker watched as his father skillfully avoided being anywhere near him. Deanna managed to bump into him once or twice. Will got the feeling she was angry, but why and at who was unclear. Though she was being drug around by her mother, so he could take a guess.

By the time the festivities were winding down the crew of the Enterprise was gathered together talking quietly, waiting for Lwaxana Troi to release her daughter long enough that they could all leave. Finally Deanna hurried in their direction. "Hurry, let's go quickly, before my mother finds some other poor unmarried man to throw me at," she huffed, irritated.

"So that's why no ghastly uniforms?" Will asked pertly.

Deanna only sighed heavily. "Can we please go Captain, before she drags me off again?"

The captain smiled ruefully and nodded tapping his COM badge. "Transporter room, five to beam up."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- Reviews are fun. I will need them if you want me to finish. What possessed me to start this now with so much going on in my life is beyond me. I'm nuts.

**Chapter 2**

The next morning, Will headed back to the transporter room, ready for round two with his father. It was unlike the Captain to meddle, but assigning his first officer to meet the delegates from Earth, well, it certainly felt like meddling to Will.

The doors opened and he felt a smile come across is face at the sight of her pacing nervously. "He got you too?" he asked with a laugh.

"Better me than him, I guess," Deanna said with a defeated smile. "Better than my mother treating the two of you like her bellboys. Are you meeting the Earth delegation?" she asked surprised.

Will nodded. "Wonder how he'll avoid me this time."

Deanna walked over to him and put a reassuring hand on his arm. "Oh, Will. I'm so sorry. I don't know why he did what he did last night."

"Why does he ever do what he does, Deanna?" he asked, then shrugged his shoulders as if he could rid himself of the burden of it. "I've just got to get through it." He looked back at the woman next to him, looking at him with such genuine concern. "He was at least nice to you, right?" he asked her.

Deanna pointed at herself as if it were a question. "I didn't talk to him last night."

"I thought your mother made sure you talked to anyone with a pulse," he teased.

"I would say that your father avoided me as if I had some sort of plague," she told him. "He avoided the whole group of us, now that I think about it," she added, more puzzled the more she thought about it. "You don't think there's a problem, do you? I didn't see him or my mother anywhere near each other."

"So?"

"So, they're supposed to be negotiating this energy treaty together. What if there's something going on that we should…"

"Deanna," Will interrupted her, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "We already have our parents do deal with. Let's not manufacture more things to worry about. Okay?"

"I'm just saying…"

"And so am I," he said flatly, just as the door opened behind them and the Captain came into the transporter room.

"Good morning, Sir," Will greeted him.

"Any word from the planet?"

"Not yet, Sir." Will answered.

"As I understand it, the Sorronians are insisting they beam aboard first, and they don't wish to see the other delegates until tomorrow. So once they are aboard, I will escort them to their quarters, which they have also insisted are on decks above the other delegations." The Captain sighed slightly.

"Not exactly overly friendly, are they Sir?" Will asked with a smirk.

"They aren't known for their hospitable natures, no," he admitted. "Once we are out of the room, Number One, the delegates from Earth should be next aboard. And then once they are on their way, Counselor, you can signal for the Betazoid delegation."

"I notice that conveniently makes the two of you preoccupied upon my mother's arrival," said Deanna.

The two men glanced at each other and back to the ship's counselor with their best innocent expressions. "She barely acknowledged me last night, Counselor. She was much more interested in seeing her daughter," the Captain justified.

"Come to think of it, she didn't say more than two word to me either. Have I gotten surly in the past few years or something?" Will asked.

Deanna only smiled at him. "Terribly surly," she said, when the transporter pad beeped.

"Ready or not, here we go," Will muttered.

The Sorronians arrived with an overt sense of solemnity. They seemed to dread being aboard the Star Fleet vessel, and with the pride and affection the Captain felt for his ship, their clear disdain was off putting. But he performed his duty with dignity as he led them from the room.

Once the room was clear, Will glanced over to the transporter pad.

"You're next," Deanna said as if she were teasing, but Will saw that little furrow of her brow, that furrow that said she was sorting through your emotions for you.

"It's fine Deanna. Stop digging through my psyche, would you please?"

"I'm just-" she began almost sadly defensive.

"I know you are. And I love you for it. But I'm fine. I promise." He reached over and punched a few keys, letting the planet know they were ready for the next transport. The consol beeped in response and a moment later the room filled with light.

There was a group of two men, and a younger woman. Kyle Riker stood at the head of the group and glanced from Will to Deanna uneasily.

"Welcome aboard," Will offered, as warmly as he could muster. "Please excuse the Captain. He is escorting the Sorronian delegates to their quarters."

"Poor man," Kyle sighed. "Jonathan, Deborah, this is my son, Will," he said casually.

"Commander," the man to his father's left greeted him and shook his hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

"And you. This is Deanna Troi, our ship's counselor." Will gestured to where Deanna stood just beside him.

"Of course, Lwaxana's daughter. Remarkable to have both of your children here," he said to Kyle, but Kyle Riker only huffed and smiled uncomfortably.

"Well, I'm sure they're waiting to come aboard, we should be on our way, yes?" he asked Will.

"Right this way," Will gesture and the group followed after him almost silently.

The doors closed behind them and Deanna let out a long breath. The tension between Will and his father was almost tangible. And he still had barely acknowledged Deanna. She let that wisp of a feeling that something was off come over her, before she realized Will was right. Her mother was enough to keep Deanna's hands full without Deanna worrying about things she had no idea about. Time would tell she supposed. She took another deep breath, almost bracing herself against the onslaught to her senses that was her mother, before keying the ready commands to the planet's surface and the room suddenly filling with what felt like the chaos that was her mother's swirling mind.

"Hello Mother," Deanna said as her mother tried to over exaggeratedly regain her balance.

"Oh, you know how I hate that," she told her. "Hello little one." She glanced around the room. "They've left you alone to greet us?" she asked sharply.

"Please excuse the Captain and Commander Riker. They are escorting the other delegates to their quarters." Deanna turned to the six people behind her mother, Mr. Homm being one of them. "Welcome aboard the Enterprise," she told them.

"Oh, honestly Deanna. How menial these tasks that they give you," her mother belittled as she strolled forward out of the room and the other delegates followed silently behind. "It's as if they don't realize the honor it is to have you here."

Deanna followed along as well, walking next to her mother dejectedly. "Honestly Mother, do we have to do this again? Here, now?"

Her mother stopped in the hall and studied her for a moment, before smiling kindly. "Of course not. We can discuss your future another time."

Deanna fought to keep her thought of 'lucky me' to herself, but her mother's frown let her know she had been heard.

"I have missed you my dear. Why don't we drop my collogues off and you and I talk for a while. I want to hear everything," she said, starting to walk again to the lift. "So tell me, what did you think of Roland Tar last night? He was clearly very taken with you."

Deanna closed her eyes for a moment and took another deep breath. It was going to be a long couple of weeks, she realized as she followed after her mother.

Will Riker walked slowly next to his father. He had shown the other delegates their quarters and now he was alone with his father for the first time in years. They would occasionally glance at each other, but neither of them had said a thing. Will glanced up the corridor. Eight more doors to his father's quarters.

"I hope your quarters will be suitable for the trip," he finally said, just to fill the silence.

"Fine, I'm sure," his father answered as they continued their awkward walk.

"Everything going well?"

Kyle only nodded stiffly.

"Well," Will said with a sigh of relief as they neared the door. "These are your quarters. You have a replicator there," he said motioning to the wall. "Desk, bedroom…" he said lingering in the doorway.

"I think I can find my way around," his father said dismissively. "Are the other delegates aboard?"

Will looked back over his shoulder to the hall. "I assume so."

"So we'll be leaving soon?"

Will tugged harshly on his uniform. "Yes."

"Then I'm sure you have things you need to be doing."

"Fine," was all Will could manage. His jaw was clenched as he turned to leave. But in the hall behind him he saw a young woman, her long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail high on her head and cascading over her shoulder.

She smiled simply at him. "Oh, excuse me. You must be Commander Riker. I'm Shanna Zerrah with the Betaziod delegation." She looked past Will to his father. "Kyle, hello," she said with a small laugh. "We're practically neighbors."

Will watched his father awkwardly. "How delightful," he said to her kindly, more kindly than he had spoken to Will, perhaps in his whole life.

"You haven't been around much the last few days. I became accustomed to seeing you more regularly."

"I…" he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "There has been much to do."

"Yes," she agreed simply. "The next few weeks should prove less demanding. The entire Betazoid delegation is on this same deck, so if you need anything…"

"Thank you so much, my dear," he told her. The two of them nodded and Will watched her walk away. She couldn't have been more than twenty-five. Will just shook his head. Maybe he did understand his father better than he would care to admit.

"I'll be going," Will told his father bitterly.

For a moment, his father almost looked like he was going to say something, but then his face fell and he turned away. With a shrug he wished was sincere indifference, Will walked off into the corridor, listening to the door close behind him. He shook his head to himself as he walked. _In what? Judgement?_ He wondered as he walked. "Chasing some twenty something…" he mumbled.

"What was that?"

Will looked around him and found Deanna Troi slipping into the turbo lift next to him. He hadn't been paying attention to anything around him but a smile came to his face at the sight of her. "Hey! You survived your mother?"

"I'd say I was better off than you," she said scrunching her face, that way she did.

"Remember when I said he might have just been chasing after some twenty something member of the Betazoid delegation?" Deanna nodded slightly. "Well, I think I get my father more than I give myself credit for sometimes."

"Shanna?" Deanna asked. She was the youngest member of her mother's group.

"You know her?" Will asked, almost hoping she didn't. It would make it less embarrassing if she didn't.

"She's Chandra's cousin," Deanna told him and Will moaned.

"She's what? Twenty-five?"

Deanna thought for a moment. "About that."

"Younger than me," he said disapprovingly.

"Younger than me," Deanna answered. "Why do you think that's what's going on?"

"I just do. I know that look on my father's face, like he's almost going to explain something and then decides it's none of my business."

"Maybe it isn't any of your business. You're a grown man, Will. He doesn't need to explain to you who he's dating."

"She's a good ten years younger than me."

"I know."

"A little sticky sweet, honestly. Not really his type."

"Sticky sweet?" Deanna asked.

"I don't know. A little naive, maybe. Optimistic to the point of annoying?" he asked if she was getting the picture. "Chandra was a little that way ten years ago too, honestly."

"What? Nice? Oh no. My friend was nice to you. What a shame!"

"That's not what I meant," Will sighed. "I just don't want him to… I don't know. Just forget it, okay?" he asked. "Main Bridge," he called to the computer.

"Okay," Deanna said warily. For a moment the turbo lift was silent. "I'm worried about you," she said quietly.

"You're mother is trying to marry you off to every man she sees and you're worried about me?" he asked.

"Stop it," she ordered.

"Engaged yet?"

"Stop it!"

"Two weeks till we get to Betazed. Plenty of time for your mom to plan a wedding."

"Will!" she barked, until she saw that terrible smile. She was being teased. "You're horrible," she told him, almost laughing at the way he could rile her up.

"I made you smile," he said softly.

The turbo lift rose to the Bridge and the two of them took the small moment to unwind from the morning of family togetherness before heading onto the bridge.

"Their Sorronian brains work so slowly, they actually give me a headache." Lwaxana Troi told her daughter as the walked towards 10- Forward together for lunch.

It had been four days since her mother came aboard and Deanna realized this was perhaps the first conversation that had not been completely dominated by talk of men and Deanna's future. "They certainly have proven interesting travel guests," Deanna agreed.

The truth was the Sorronian delegates had been down right troublesome. Every time they left their quarters, they had additional demands from the crew. They were insulting and arrogant to the point of frustrating large amounts of the crew. Between her own mother, and Will and his father and the Sorronian's, Deanna's days had been full.

"Yes, I know. I am sorry, dear," Lwaxana said remorsefully as they walked through the doors of 10- Forward. The room was crowded with people standing around. "What has happened here?"

Deanna sighed as she made her way into the packed room. "Most of the tables have been removed for the concert tonight." She should have realized it would be like this at the peak of lunch hour, but her mother had said she needed to get out of her own quarters and Deanna had been so busy that her own were not as tidy as she would have liked and the last thing she needed was a lecture about her home from her mother. So 10- Forward it was.

"Oh, yes. I suppose I'll be expected to be _there_ as well," Lwaxana sighed.

"Yes, Mother," Deanna chastised. "It should be lovely."

"And will someone be accompanying you this evening?" her mother asked.

Deanna sighed. It had been nice while it lasted. "I know. Why don't we go together," she offered. It was far preferable to her mother trying to fix her up on a date. "I'd love the opportunity to spend more time with you."

"I'm sure the Sorronian's will do their best to suck any life or joy from the room," her mother answered. "I would have thought you would have been tagging along behind Commander Riker, making sure his ego was in tact the whole evening," her mother's words bit, even as she glanced around the room for a place to sit, as if she'd said nothing at all.

"Mother," Deanna rebuked. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing at all dear. Other than the tension between William and his father is beginning to make everyone on the ship tense, though most of them don't even know why. Forget everyone else, I'm not sure the two of them know why. What _is _their dilemma anyway?"

Deanna thought for a moment. "I'm not sure I really know. Ancient history, I suppose," she said, as she looked for a table in vane.

"Well, people who live in the past ruin their futures," Lwaxana decreed. "Tell Commander Riker to grow up."

"Mother!" Deanna chastised her again. "It's none of your business.'

"Of course it's my business. When half your day is following behind him asking him if his father has hurt his feelings, it seems like someone ought to make it their business," she said her voice full of almost indifference.

"Mother, that's enough. Will is my friend. Of course I am concerned for him." But her mother shook her head as if it annoyed her.

"Counselor," Deanna heard someone call and looked around the room to where Geordi LaForge was waving at her from a table in the back of the room, beckoning her towards him. "Here, take our table, we were just leaving," Geordi told her as he and three of his engineering supervisors stood from their seats.

"Thank you, Geordi," Deanna said greeting her friend warmly.

"Oh, how lovely of you, Commander! You've rescued us!" Lwaxana exclaimed.

Geordi and Deanna looked at one another wearily.

"You must stay and join us, Commander. Tell me more about yourself."

Deanna dug her nails a little firmly into Geordi's forearm where her hand had rested, hoping he would get the unspoken message to run. "Oh, thank you, Mrs. Troi, but I'm afraid I am needed in engineering. If you'd excuse me," he said. Deanna patted his arm lightly and said goodbye before sinking into the chair across from her mother and ordering her lunch. She watched her mother for a moment, the swirl of activity in her mind, and that slight sense she had felt from the first moment she saw her mother, that while she was pulling her close physically, there was something emotionally that was keeping her at a distance. More than just privacy. It was so small, and yet, irritating.

"Mother, what do you know about Will and his father?" she finally asked as the server brought them their lunches.

The look on Lwaxana's face froze, but only for an instant. "What would make you think I know anything about it?" she asked.

"Well, you've been working with his father for several weeks…"

"Language of treaties hardly lends itself to discussions of ones parenting, dear. I was simply observing. Now," she said grandly, sweeping the former subject aside. "Tell me more about Commander LaForge. He is a delightful man, don't you think?"

Her mother had that sparkle to her eye again. Certainly she didn't really intend to start fixing her up with her co-workers. "Mother."

"What? I was simply saying that I thought he was charming. He's not handsome in that traditional sense, but he's got strong features. He could be a good match for you. "

"Mother, certainly not."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. Because he is my _friend_. A very dear friend, and I don't take that lightly."

"And no doubt, a good friend to Commander Riker," her mother muttered.

Deanna dropped her fork back to her plate. "Alright. That's enough, Mother. What is going on with you? Why the sudden… panic to see me paired off with someone?"

"I want you to be happy."

"I _am_ happy!"

"I want you happier!"

"And I can't be happy without a husband?"

"You can't be happy in your future if one eye is always on the past!"

Deanna took a deep breath trying to calm herself and lower her voice in the crowded room. "Are we really having this conversation about Will Riker? Again? Why your sudden irksome disapproval? I thought you just wanted me to be happy."

"He's holding you back," Lwaxana said coldly.

"Is he?" Deanna asked startled by her mother's blatant honesty.

"Surely you can see it. No good man on this ship would ever step on Commander Riker's toes to be with you, and you seem determined to doom yourself on this ship to a life of loneliness."

"I'm not lonely, Mother. Nor am I dwelling on the past. Commander Riker is my friend, as are so many other med on this ship. And I think you're wrong. If it meant that I was happy, Will would never stand in my way."

"So you're telling me that you're over him? Completely?"

"Ahh," Deanna almost growled in frustration. "Mother, what Will and I had is over. Yes. Why are you doing this?"

Her mother held her hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Fine. I apologize. We won't speak of it again."

"Thank you," Deanna said determinedly.

"Let us just enjoy our lunch in peace."

"Fine."

"Fine," her mother echoed.

"So I've made _both_ of our parents angry? How did I manage that?" Will asked that evening as they left the bridge together.

"I don't know. I really don't know what is going on with her, Will. Something's not right. It's like she's keeping something from me." Deanna thought for a moment, trying to put what she sensed from her mother into words. "There is something desperate, frantic almost, about wanting me to be involved with someone."

"But not me."

"Anyone but you," she said sadly. "I'm so sorry. I'm at a complete loss."

"And I was just getting used to her sort of shoving us back together."

"The irony of it, really," Deanna thought, and Will nodded his agreement.

"Maybe I should just steer clear of you for a while, make your mother happy. Too bad. I was hoping you'd go with me to this concert tonight."

"Oh, I think that would be a very bad idea. Besides, I already convinced my mother to go with me."

"So she wouldn't fix you up with someone else?"

"Precisely," Deanna admitted, stepping out of the lift.

"You're a clever woman, Deanna Troi," he told her before heading to his own quarters to grab something to eat and to change for the concert that evening.

Deanna changed her clothes and made her way to her mother's quarters. As she rounded the bend she found the door to her mother's quarters were open and her mother and Kyle Riker stood together, apparently deep in conversation.

"Little One!" her mother called out to her cheerily, and Deanna noticed that Kyle Riker seemed startled, taking several steps away.

"Hello Deanna," he said, his nervousness coming off him in waves.

"Mr. Riker. I've hardly had a chance to see you in the past few days. How are you?" Deanna asked warmly. Certainly, if he thought she was angry with him, simply because she was Will's friend, she wanted to relieve him of that worry. Perhaps she could even help the situation.

"Fine, thank you. If you'd excuse me," he said and quickly, he was gone.

Her mother stepped from her quarters and took her daughter by the arm, leading her off in the opposite direction.

"What was that about?" Deanna asked.

"The treaty. What else?"

"He seemed terribly nervous."

"I've come to realize that Kyle Riker can be a very nervous man," her mother answer almost brushed her questions aside. "You're earlier than I expected. We should walk for a bit, don't you agree?"

Her mother had her in tow. Deanna wasn't sure she had much of a choice. They walked the ship while her mother jabbered on about anything that came to her mind. She'd never heard her mother talk as much. It was almost dizzying. Certainly, it left her unsettled.

At the concert, twice Deanna found Kyle Riker watching her and her mother intently, though he quickly looked away. What was it? Had he told her mother something he hoped she would keep in confidence? The idea of her mother and Will Riker's father having some sort of a confidence between them was oddly unnerving. She looked over and tried to catch Will's eye several times, but he was skillfully avoiding her. The last thing he wanted to be accused of was standing in the way of Deanna's happiness. "Hmm," Deanna said with a sigh. There was something she was missing.

After the concert was over, Deanna realized that she didn't see the one thing that she had expected. Kyle Riker and Chandra's young cousin hadn't been sitting together, and while she did see them chatting once, it was hardly flirtatious or remotely romantic. If Kyle Riker was perusing her like Will thought, he was doing it rather badly, from what she could tell.

She did watch the painful interaction or lack thereof, with Will and his father. Like two passing ships, they managed to be near each other without actually interacting at all. Why, she couldn't help but wonder. What had Will done to deserve this prolonged cold shoulder from his own father?

"Good morning, Commander," Deanna greeted Will in 10- Forward the next morning. The room had been returned to its previous state and was far from crowded, as she approached the table where Will sat, reading reports and sipping on his coffee.

"Am I allowed to talk to you, yet?"

Deanna swatted him lightly on the shoulder and he feigned injury. "You're lucky that's all you get for ignoring me last night."

"What can I say? I learned from the best," he said, taking another drink of his coffee.

"Oh, Will," Deanna sighed. "How long are you going to wait for your father to be in a talking mood? He's been aboard for five days."

"It's fine," he said indifferently, but Deanna took the PADD from his hand and pushed his coffee away from him.

"It's not fine," she said simply, taking his hand. "It's not fine with you. You need to give yourself permission to be angry about the way that you're being treated."

"Why?" he asked coldly. "What good will that do?"

"How many more chances do you think you get to fix this, Will? Do you think life is infinite?"

"Maybe it doesn't need to be fixed."

Deanna looked at him sadly for a moment. "You could say that to the rest of the crew and they would probably believe you, but I can feel it," she said, reaching out and placing her hand over his heart. "That ache right here that you wish wasn't there. Talk to him, Will. On your terms, not his."

Will almost snorted with laughter. "And how would you like me to do that? If I walk into a room, he walks out."

"You're not fifteen, Will! You are the first officer of the flagship of the federation. This is YOUR ship, for God's sake! Start acting like it!"

Deanna watched his face go from shocked to thoughtful to almost determined as they sat in silence. "Maybe…"

"You should," she assured him.

"I should?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, trouble maker," he said with a laugh. "Maybe tonight-"

"Not tonight," she interrupted. "Right now!" she urged, before he lost the desire.

Will looked around the room as if she might have forgotten where they were. "I have a job…" he told her.

But Deanna didn't buy it. "You have a staff meeting in about an hour. You don't think you could get a decent start in an hour?"

"I usually meet with the Captain-"

"I'll tell the Captain you're talking to your father. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

"You have a plan for everything, don't you?" he teased.

"I do try," she said casually.

"So I just track him down and…"

"Yes."

"And if he…"

"You give people orders all the time. Stop treating him with this paternal deference."

"What about political deference?"

Deanna reached out and took Will's hand. "You need to do this, Will. Get it out, whatever it is."

"Right now?"

"Right now!" she said, urging him out of his chair. "Computer, locate ambassador Riker."

"Ambassador Riker is in his quarters."

Deanna smiled. "There you go," she told Will. He stood looking at her, uncertain. "Go on!" she told him. "Shoo!"

Will started to walk away, then turned back to her smiling. "You are very good at your job. Did you know that?"

Deanna smiled and picked up the PADD Will had left on the desk, glancing over it casually. "Thank you, Commander." She watched him with a heart full of pride as he walked so determined out of 10 –Forward. She hoped they would be able to resolve some things.

Will Riker strode down the corridor, trying to remind himself who he was. This was HIS ship for God's sake. He would talk to him when Will told him to talk to him, not whenever he felt like it, or not. Who did he think he was? This was Will's territory, not his fathers. He practiced how he would begin in his mind, over and over as he got closer and closer to his father's door, and rang the chime. He didn't know how long he waited, still practicing what he would say, before he realized his father had not answered. He rang the chime again. After several seconds, he paged the computer. "Computer, is Ambassador Riker still in his quarters?"

"Affirmative."

Will stared at the closed door, anger welling up in his chest again. He rang the chime one last time. _And what if he simply ignores me?_ He wanted to ask Deanna. What then? He finally stepped away from the door and began to walk away, anger pounding in his ears. "Computer," he asked after several steps. "Did the Ambassador ask for the identity of the person at his door?"

"Affirmative."

"Son of a…" Will muttered. "No. This is MY ship! This is getting done MY way!" he said turning around and storming back to his father's door. "You don't just get to ignore me," he demanded as he keyed in his security override and the door opened obediently in front of him.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Will's body moved as if it were in some sort of autopilot. His brain knew where he was going, even if his head was thinking about anything but. He heard the turbo lift doors open in front of him and he stepped out onto the Bridge. He wasn't thinking, barely taking in what was happening in front of him.

"Ah, Number One! The Counselor was just telling me that you may be late to the staff meeting," the Captain greeted him as Will walked towards her. He only had one thought. He needed to talk to Deanna. "Is everything alright, Number One?"

"Sorry," Will said blankly. "Could I just borrow her for a moment?" he asked, reaching down to where Deanna sat and practically yanking her to her feet.

The Captain watched, puzzled, but nodded vaguely.

"What's going on?" Deanna almost whispered to him.

Will didn't answer. With his hand firmly on her elbow, he lead her across the bridge, towards the ramp leading to the observation lounge, where they could talk, alone.

"Did you talk to him?" she whispered quickly.

"Ah, n…no," he stuttered.

"Why?" she insisted, stopping to look at him.

Will dropped his hold on her and pointed accusingly. "This is your fault," he whispered harshly to her, hoping the people around them had better things to do than watch the two of them.

"My fault? What did I do?" Deanna asked less hushed than before.

Will only sighed and grabbed her by the elbow again, towing her along, trying to get off the bridge as quickly as possible. "You said to talk to him," he whispered close to her ear.

"Commander," Deanna protested his hold on her. "What is going on?" she asked.

Will didn't answer her. He took two more steps until the observation lounge doors opened in front of him and he unceremoniously shoved her inside. "He wasn't alone!" was the last thing the Bridge crew could hear before the doors slid closed behind them.

Deanna could sense Will's panicked tangle of emotions, but she didn't think it was any reason to be manhandled. She brushed off the sleeve of her uniform, to emphasis her point and sank into one of the chairs. "Care to start at the beginning?" she asked calmly.

Will paced back and forth in front of her, running his hands through his hair frantically. "You said," he finally answered, as if he was short of breath. "You said to talk to him on MY terms!"

"And?" Deanna asked calmly as he began to pace again.

"Oh, don't you counsel me, Counselor," he snapped at her. "You're in this up to your eyeballs."

Perhaps a different approach would help, Deanna thought, straightening herself in her chair. "So you went to see your father."

"Ahahh," Will agreed gutturally.

"And what did he say?"

Will smacked his hands to his side in frustration. "We didn't get that far, Deanna! He was otherwise occupied!" he said, harshly pronouncing each word, his hands waiving desperately.

"Oh," Deanna finally understood. She covered her mouth with her hand, to hide the smile she felt creeping onto her face. Will Riker scowled at her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she said regaining her composure. "That's not funny. I apologize."

Will shook his head at her and went back to his nervous pacing.

"If he was… entertaining," Deanna offered delicately, "what would possess him to answer his door?" she asked, puzzled.

"He didn't," Will answered bitterly.

"Then how do you know…"

"I used my security override okay?" he bellowed. "You said… you said to talk to him on my terms, not to let him ignore me!"

"I didn't mean to break into his quarters, Will!"

"Well…"

Deanna sighed heavily, sinking back into her chair. How was it possible that she had made the situation worse? "They were actually in the…"

"Yes!" Will hollered before she could finish, not wanting to picture it again.

"Oh my," Deanna sighed. But as embarrassing as it may have been, it was not the end of the world. Will and his father were both adults. It wasn't like Will to be so prudish about sex. "Okay, so you walked in," she offered matter of factly. "And then what happened?"

Will froze again and looked down at her with utter exasperation. "I left!"

"You didn't say anything?"

"What would you have said if you were me?" he asked. "I was… speechless!"

Deanna sighed. "Really, Will." He needed to calm down and look at this rationally. "I'm sure it was awkward, but this is hardly life shattering."

The more Deanna tried to calm him down the more irate he became. "How can you say that? Are you serious?" he asked.

"Will, sit down," she offered.

"I don't _want_ to sit down!"

"What do you want?"

"I want you to be freaking out with me!" he called.

Deanna watched him, completely confused by the anger she was feeling from him. "Why would I freak out?"

"What?" he yelled. "Why wouldn't…" he watched her for a moment before she realized she didn't get it. "How could you not get…" he tried. "My God, are you sure you're empathic?" he called, frustrated that he had to spell it out for her.

"Did I miss something?" Deanna asked him, growing frustrated with his tone.

"Deanna!" he pleaded. "He wasn't with just any old…" he stopped, struggling to finish the sentence. "It was…"

Just as he was finding the words he heard the doors on the opposite side of the room slide open. Geordi LaForge was walking, his eyes never leaving the PADD in his hand. "Hey," he called casually to the both of them, before taking a good look. ." Something about the look on the Commander's face made him feel like he needed to explain his intrusion. "I was just going to get some of these reports read before staff meeting," he told them, studying them closely. "Maybe I should wait someplace else?" he offered.

"Yes, please. Thank you," Will answered curtly.

Deanna looked at Will frustrated, and then to Geordi. "Of course not," then turned back to Will. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded.

"He was with your mother!" Will felt the words blurt out of his mouth and there was no taking them back. He watched Deanna's face change from frustration with him to something absolutely blank, and the color was draining from her cheeks. He wondered for a moment if that was what his face had looked like a few minutes before. It was as if time had frozen around them.

"I think I'll just wait on the bridge," Geordi offered, slipping out of the room, completely unnoticed by the two of them.

The silence in the room was deafening. Will just stood over her, watching her struggle for breath as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "Say something," he finally spoke.

Deanna finally looked up to meet his gaze. "Um,…" she stammered, but didn't seem to be able to find any other words.

"I _had_ to tell you," he said, almost guiltily.

She only nodded blankly in agreement. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You're sure," she finally spoke.

"Uh huh," he nodded. There was no misinterpreting what he had walked in on.

"Because, maybe…"

"The images are permanently seared into my retina's. I promise you, they were having sex." Then as if he had to emphasis the point further, "your mother and my father."

Deanna put her hand up as if to make him stop talking. "Okay," she admitted defeat. "Okay, okay," she kept saying as if she was searching for some sort of plan.

Will almost groaned when he heard the doors to the room open again. He could hear Geordi saying something about something not being a good idea.

"Nonsense," the Captain answered, and walked into the room, to find Will Riker standing watching his ship's counselor closely. Deanna Troi sat in her usual chair, staring blankly at the table in the center of the room. "We all seem to be here early, so I thought we'd get started," he explained. He looked back and forth from his officers again. "Is there a problem?"

"Ah," Will wavered.

"No," Deanna answered quickly. "It's… umm…"

"Fine," Will finished for her.

"Counselor, are you feeling well?" the Captain asked her.

Deanna's face still looked stunned, but she nodded vaguely. "Fine," she echoed.

Their colleagues were filing in around them, and they tried to act somewhat normal.

"Would either of you like to tell me what's going on?"

"Not really…" Will said with a sigh. But the Captain raised a sharp eyebrow at him, as if to say that was the wrong answer. "I'm sure Counselor Troi could do it better," he offered, hoping to avoid trying to put it into words again.

Deanna just stared back at him wide eyed.

The Captain pulled at his uniform before sitting in his chair. "She seems to be at a loss for words," he offered for her.

"Oh, give her a minute," Will muttered under his breath. The words would come. It just took a minute to process. At least that's how he had felt.

Deanna turned her chair to the table and buried her face in her hands, trying to regain her composure.

"Does it have anything to do with my ship?" the Captain asked a bit exasperated.

"Well… do you remember when you said the biggest challenge would be not letting certain delegates distract us?" The Captain gave a short nod. "That's turned into a bit more of a challenge," Will ended flatly.

Suddenly Deanna dropped her hands from her face. "Oh my GOD!" she cried out, capturing everyone in the room's attention.

"And there it is," Will sighed.

"Counselor?" the Captain asked.

"Do you know what this means?" she asked, as if she had forgotten the other people in the room. "Do you have any idea what this means?"

Will looked back at her helplessly. "It's gross?"

Deanna looked back at him with that same sort of exasperation he'd had a few moments before. "She marries people, Will! It's what she does. It's like a hobby!"

"She's not marrying anyone," he tried to reassure her.

"She puts them in some sort of trance! Do you have any idea how many step-fathers I have had?"

"Two?" Will guessed.

"Seven! Seven!" Deanna shouted back at him.

"What's going on?" Beverly asked the colleagues around her quietly.

Worf shook his head, as if he was lost.

"Their parents," Geordi whispered.

"What about them?" Beverly asked.

"Well, in thirty one years, he's never married anyone," Will told Deanna.

"That you know of," she bit back. "It's like the two of you are such generous communicators."

"They're not getting married!" he bellowed back at her. "Isn't this enough of a crisis? Do we have to jump ahead to the next crisis?"

"This is my mother!" Deanna answered. "I know her. And do you know what happens if they get married?"

"I throw up a little?" he answered sarcastically.

"You're my step-brother!" Deanna hollered, the words echoing through the suddenly silent room.

The rest of the room watched as Commander Riker's face fell, into that same stunned expression that Deanna's had earlier.

"I think he found their parents in bed together," Geordi whispered quickly to the others, and the reaction shot around the room. The Captain put his head in his hand as if he had a sudden headache. Data's head tipped to the side, intrigued, processing the information through his social database, and Beverly Crusher threw both hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Oh, wow!" Beverly whispered through her fingers.

"Ah…" Will stammered. "That… that can't happen."

"It could," Deanna argued.

"No! No, we can't _let_ that happen."

"Why?" Data's voice startled the others in the room. It was an innocent question.

"Why?" Commander Riker bellowed at him. "Why?"

"Yes."

"Because… because… that's just so…"

"Wrong," Deanne offered.

"Yes!" Will agreed. "Very, very, very…" he said as he went back to pacing behind Deanna's chair.

"It is reasonable," Data offered, but he stopped speaking when both Commander Riker and Counselor Troi looked at him hostilely.

"What can you possibly find reasonable in any of this Data?" Deanna asked, angrily.

"Both your mother and the Commander's father are single and unattached. They are similar in age and it would follow reason that if their children found qualities in each other attractive, that each of your parents would possess some similar qualities-"

Will groaned as if he was going to be ill. "Data!" Deanna cried. "Stop. Stop talking, please," she begged, grabbing her temples as if she suddenly had a splitting headache.

"Let's all try to calm down and focus-" the Captain offered calmly. "While this is certainly-"

"Awkward," the doctor offered from the other end of the table.

"Unsettling," the Captain corrected, "we certainly have other matters that require our focus and attention. I would expect-" but the Captain was interrupted by the sound of the aft doors opening. Having his staff meeting interrupted was all but unheard of, but it seemed that anything was possible at that point.

"Excuse me, Captain," Kyle Riker interrupted as he looked awkwardly around the room, He clearly had not expected a crowd. "I'm sorry to interrupt. I didn't realize…" He ran his hand through his graying hair, just as his son did. "I just need a moment with my son."

Will Riker stood on the opposite end of the room watching his father wearily before he decided a buffer was needed. He reached down to where Deanna was seated in front of him and pulled her up in front of him, placing her squarely between them.

Deanna's eyes flew open wide, as she glared back over her shoulder at her friend who dared to use her as some sort of a shield. Kyle Riker eyed her uncomfortably. "Hello Deanna," he greeted her self-consciously.

"Ah," Deanna stammered. "Hi," she said quickly and tried to sit back down, but Will held her firmly in place by both her shoulders.

"Could we…?" his father asked Will, gesturing to the door behind him.

The Captain sighed, resigned to the fact that he had lost control of the meeting, if he ever had it. "Why not," he agreed.

"We're in a meeting," Will answered indignantly.

"We need to talk," Kyle answered firmly.

But Will shook his head. "No," he disagreed.

"Son," Kyle began but Will interrupted him with a huff. He'd barely spoken to him in five days, and suddenly he was his son?

"Maybe now isn't the best time," Deanna tried to mediate the growing tension.

Kyle looked at her kindly. "Perhaps not. We were hoping…"

Deanna felt her stomach turn at the term 'we'.

"We could discuss this over lunch… the four of us," he offered. He looked to Deanna for some source of reason, but Deanna couldn't find it in her.

"We?" she repeated. "The four…" she felt her breath growing shallow. "I'm busy."

"Me too." Will chimed in as well.

"Please," Kyle pleaded. "We were going to tell you, but there just wasn't…"

"We," Deanna muttered again under her breath. This would have been bad enough coming from her mother, but from Kyle Riker, it was unbearable.

"Look, I understand what you both must be thinking," he conceded. "But it's not as if we're just fornicating. We love each other. Deeply!"

Deanna heard Will groan behind her as if he might be sick. "Oh, let's… let's go back to just fornicating, okay?"

"Okay, can we all just stop using the word 'fornicating', please?" Deanna pleaded, uncomfortably.

"He started it," Will said, pointing to his father as if he were a young child tattling on the bully on the playground.

"Well, I think I need to end it!" the Captain bellowed, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Mr. Riker, perhaps now is not the best time. Perhaps… we all just need a moment?"

Kyle Riker looked pensively from the Captain to Deanna and Will standing close together. "Yes, perhaps we do. Thank you, Captain." He turned back to his son and Deanna. "Your mother and I will be ready to talk, whenever you are," he said quietly, and without another word, he turned and walked away.

Deanna watched him go, standing silently with Will. Neither moved or even breathed until the doors closed behind him. They loved each other? Deeply? What else was left to say?

"Well," Beverly Crusher sighed in the quiet room. "That's a bit of a development we didn't anticipate," she tried to fill the awkward silence.

Deanna quietly sank back into her seat, but Will just stood there, shaking his head. He finally looked toward Captain Picard, who still stood as well. "I'm sorry, Sir," he almost whispered, then walked to his chair and quietly sat down.

Everyone was left looking around awkwardly at each other, watching the Captain grapple with what to do or say next. Neither Will or Deanna seemed to have any words left. They both sat in their chairs, their eyes fixed on the table in front of them, as if they had just been chastised.

"One of the most difficult challenges we face in the course of fulfilling our duty," the Captain began what was bound to be an awkward lecture, "is putting aside our personal feelings, or other distractions that may go on in our personal lives, in order to concentrate on the greater good of the mission as a whole," he said, finally taking his seat. "I have no doubt that this is…" he cleared his throat uncomfortably, "unsettling for many reasons, but that does not change the immediate needs of the mission."

"Yes, Sir," Will muttered quietly.

"Counselor," the Captain began.

"Yes, Sir," she echoed, not wanting to give him any motivation to censure her.

"We have a dinner scheduled for this evening with all the delegates…" the Captain continued. "I expect my entire senior staff there and able to focus on the treaty, and the importance of everyone's continued cooperation."

Both Will and Deanna nodded blankly.

"I trust that by that time, some sort of peaceful resolution…"

Will looked up sharply at his Captain and then to Deanna. "You think we can talk it out by this evening, Sir? Wouldn't just avoiding each other work just as well?"

"Thus far, it hasn't proven to be a very effective method."

"The dinner is in…" Deanna calculated for a moment.

"Six hours, forty-nine minutes," Data answered for her.

"Then, by all means, please use the next six hours wisely," the Captain answered, dismissing the two of them with a slight wave of his hands.

Will and Deanna watched each other across the table. "He's serious," Deanna whispered to Will, who sat firmly in his chair.

"Remember what I said about portholes the other day?" Will asked her, and Deanna nodded. "They're looking better and better, don't you think?"

"Six hours, forty-nine minutes," the Captain repeated.

"Forty- eight, to be precise, Sir," Data corrected.

"And the clock is ticking…" the Captain offered.

Still Will Riker didn't budge from his seat. "What is it you expect us to…"

"That's not for me to say, Number One. But my officer's and the delegate's personal lives need to find a way to stay off my Bridge, out of my Staff meetings and away from these negotiations, is that clear?"

"Completely, Sir."

"Good, I have just suddenly made the two of you incredibly available, and I believe there are some people on this ship awaiting your attention."

The room fell silent watching them, until Deanna finally stood up to leave. She looked back to Will still sitting in his chair, unmoving. "If you make me do this alone, I will make you pay for it for the rest of your natural life," she told him flatly, and with utter resentment on his face, Will rose from his chair to join her.

"We'll see you both this evening, then," the Captain bid them farewell as if they were off to a picnic.

They walked silently from the room until the doors closed behind them. "What do we do?" Deanna finally asked, sounding utterly defeated.

"We tell them to cut it out," Will said firmly.

"But, you heard your father. They love each other."

"They think they love each other," Will corrected. "Deanna, this is ridiculous! Surely we can make them see that. If not for us, then for the energy treaty." Deanna nodded vaguely. She wasn't so sure she agreed. "There is one upside to this though," Will offered as they stepped into the turbo lift.

"Oh, please, share it with me," Deanna begged.

"My father doesn't hate me. He was just too embarrassed to face me." Will thought for a moment more. "And he doesn't hate you, he just didn't want you to find out he was screwing your mother."

"Will," Deanna chastised him for his vulgarity.

"It's true."

"And my mother doesn't really think I'm alone and pathetic, she just thought that if I was with someone other than you, I wouldn't be so terribly unsettled by the idea of our parents…" For a moment, the idea had almost cheered her up, but with it, she crashed back down. "… as a couple."

Will looked down at her with a scowl. "We've got to stop this, Deanna."

"I know."

"They aren't being rational."

"I know."

"I mean, this is just wrong. Do you have any idea how many people there are in the galaxy? Why each other?"

"They hate us." Deanna answered painfully as the doors to the turbo lift slid shut in front of them, filling them both with a sense of doom.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: First I must say thank you for all your kind words. I'm sorry it has been so long. I moved my family to a different state and then took a vacation, which was not much rest at all. This weekend was the first time I have relaxed in months. Hope I found my funny. If not, I bet you'll let me know.

Chapter 4

They didn't say another word to each other. What was there left to say? They just walked side by side, down the corridor to where their parents were waiting for them. Of that much Deanna was sure of.

"Wait, wait," Will Riker called out as he pulled on her arm. "Before we do this, we really need a plan."

"A plan?" Deanna asked. "Such as?"

"We have to be together on this Deanna. If they sense weakness from one of us…"

"Our parents are in some sort of a relationship, Will. We don't like it. What kind of plan do you have in mind? Poison them?"

"No. Well…" he tipped his head to one side as he reconsidered for a moment. "No. But they need to know we do not approve," he said firmly.

"They know we don't approve, Will. That's why they were hiding it from us."

"But nothing they say can change our minds. I mean, if we want it to stop, we have to hold firm to the line."

"We don't approve," Deanna repeated sullenly. "Now are we ready?"

Will looked back and forth in the empty corridor. It was late morning and the ships crew was busy with the work of the day. How would one really get ready, he wondered, but he shrugged his shoulders defeatedly.

With a nod, Deanna continued walking. _Come in, Little one_, she heard her mother call in her mind. Deanna only sighed as she shook her head and, ignoring her mother's invitation, rang the chime.

"Something wrong?" Will asked sarcastically. There were just so many things wrong.

Deanna only sneered at him. "Other than my mother inviting us into your father's quarters?"

The door slid open in front of them. Will was pleased that this time everyone had their clothes on. Kyle Riker hung back from the door, almost tentatively. Lwaxana Troi stood in the middle of the room with her arms folded across her chest, the long draping material of her sleeve wrapping itself around her. "Didn't you hear me?" she asked her daughter sharply.

Deanna didn't answer her. She glanced over her shoulder to where Will stood cautiously eyeing the scene in front of him.

"Why don't you come in," his father offered. "I'm surprised you both came so… quickly."

"Don't be ridiculous. They came because Jean Luc shamed them into it. And why not I say. What kind of officer just comes barging into-"

Deanna saw Will cringe next to her. "Mother," she interrupted her firmly.

"If you had bothered to talk to us like adults," Will countered.

"What adults? You're behaving like spoiled children!" Lwaxana argued.

Will and Deanna both opened their mouths to respond, but Kyle Riker stepped between Lwaxana and their children. "Please!" he called. "Please, come in. Sit down. We can talk about this, together."

Deanna walked to the couch that Kyle motioned to and carefully sat down along with her mother, though there was a gulf between them. Will sat gingerly on the chair nearby, perched on the edge, as if he might bolt out of the room at any minute.

"Now, I know that this must be incredibly uncomfortable for the two of you," Kyle began as he walked and sat on the edge of the arm of the couch, near Deanna's mother, putting a careful hand on her shoulder. Deanna and Will exchanged a wary look at the closeness of their parents. "It's not a picnic for us, I assure you. But we realize," he said glancing down at Lwaxana, "we could have addressed this better."

Will wasn't so sure that Deanna's mother agreed with his father.

"While we are all adults, Kyle feels that we are the parents and it is our place…"

"We both feel," Kyle corrected her, but Will could see that Lwaxana did not.

"We didn't want to make this any more difficult for you," Lwaxana finished.

"So you lied to us, and ignored us, pestered us…" Deanna pressed. "Because you thought that was easier for us? Or just for you?" she accused.

"You make it sound like some evil plot," her mother brushed her aside as if she was being ridiculous.

"That is what that all was about, wasn't it, Mother? All the questions? And him," she gestured to Kyle Riker over her mother's shoulder, "ignoring us both, not saying three words to his own son."

"I am sorry for that. I didn't know what to say."

"For that?" Will asked angrily. He was only sorry for that?

"What do you want him to apologize for, William? Regardless of what the two of you are thinking, this is not some conspiracy. We met. We found the other interesting. We began to see each other socially. It is past my understanding what any of that has to do with either one of you!" Lwaxana bellowed.

"You're our parents!" Will answered.

"Yes, we are both aware of that," Lwaxana told him coldly.

"Our parents," Will said, gesturing desperately between Deanna and himself.

"Yes, we are your parents," Kyle agreed. "And we raised you. We gave up our lives to make sure you had what you needed. And now you are grown and we don't have to answer to you about what we do in our personal lives. This isn't about you. Either of you."

"But it does effect us," Deanna answered calmly. "All of us."

Lwaxana turned to her daughter. "And why does it upset you so?"

Deanna only rolled her eyes. "Mother," she protested.

"You think I should know, should somehow understand and I would, but you told me yourself, the two of you are friends. Good. If that's the case, I don't see how it effects you at all."

"Of course it affects us. Will and I were once… much more than…"

"Yes, once, but you made it clear to me that was in the past. We are now talking about the future," her mother told her curtly.

Will and Deanna's eyes met as the tried to keep their collective cool. "And the job you came to do?" Will asked them. "That doesn't count for anything?"

"Now, what's that supposed to mean?" his father barked.

"You're in the middle of negotiating an important energy treaty!" Will reacted. "\With the Sorronian's. The cold, impersonal, patronizing Sorronians of all people! What do you think they would do if they knew?"

"The Sorronian delegation is perfectly aware of the situation," Lwaxana answered haughtily. "We've been seeing one another for weeks. We certainly didn't keep it a secret from anyone."

"Except your children," Deanna muttered.

"Well which is it?" Kyle Riker asked angrily, beginning to pace the room like a prowling animal. "Are you worried about the Sorronians and the negotiations or is it about you? You can't have it both ways."

"You've put me in the situation where I have to be worried about both, Dad," Will answered tersely.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about. The Sorronian's don't have an issue with it. The only ones with issues are you."

"Yes, we have an issue with it," Will answered, exasperated that neither of their parents seemed to give any credence to why.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lwaxana said firmly. "But it won't change a thing."

"No, it won't," Kyle agreed. "So you can either get over the shock of it, or not. But we've said all we can say. We didn't set out to hurt you, either of you," he said glancing towards Deanna. "We love each other. We've given you enough. This isn't about you. This is about us."

"So no matter what we say or feel…" Will began.

"Stop acting like a five year old, Will. It hurts your feelings? Go cry in your pillow," his father snapped, dismissing his son's opinion with a quick wave of his hand.

Deanna watched Will recoil. Gone was the tone of 'come and let's talk peacefully'. This was the tone that had driven them apart for so many years. Kyle Riker had lost his temper and his son was about to do the same. Will looked to Deanna, his fury written all over his face, practically pouring off him. Deanna almost reached out to him, wishing she could say or do something to calm him down that wouldn't make the situation worse.

"God, why do I even try?" he said, partly to his father, though he was looking at Deanna. With a shake of his head, he stood up. "Do whatever you want, Dad. You will anyway. Just leave me out of it," he told him and walked out of the room, not even looking back to where Deanna sat.

Deanna didn't blame him, but a part of her wished she had seized the moment and gone with him. She looked around the room at her mother, perched on the end of the couch, seemingly put off by the flare of temper between Kyle and Will. Kyle Riker only seemed more angry, almost stomping as he paced, furious, but Deanna couldn't tell if it was because of his son or because he had lost his temper and driven him away. She could feel that sense of regret, like he knew he shouldn't have said what he did.

"It's just.." he began, as if he were going to try to explain it to the two women, but then just shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I need some air," he said and without a goodbye, he stormed from the room as well.

Deanna was left on the couch with her mother, now. Alone in quarters where neither of them belonged, in her opinion, though her mother seemed perfectly content there, the silence dragging on between them.

"He does realize he's on a starship, right?" Deanna finally asked. She hoped Kyle Riker wasn't actually so furious that he would take his search for 'air' that seriously.

"Men can be so juvenile, don't you think? Especially human men. So easily riled up. Impulsive. Maybe that's why I'm so easily attracted to them," Lwaxana sighed.

Deanna didn't respond.

"Oh, little one. Can't we talk about this rationally now that they're gone?"

"What's there left to say, Mother?"

"There's always more to say," Lwaxana said calmly smiling at her daughter. "I enjoy him, Deanna. He's made my life exciting again. He's vital and unpredictable."

"Temperamental, you mean," Deanna corrected.

"Is that what Will told you?" her mother asked suspiciously.

Deanna thought of all the times she and Will had sat and talked about his father, and for the first time, she questioned how much of what he has said she could share. How much had been in confidence? Even as a friend? Certainly as a counselor it was private. But rarely did Will come to speak with the ship's counselor.

"Raising children is a difficult thing. There are no user manuals. You don't come with instructions. Kyle admits he was never a perfect father," Lwaxana conceded, but Deanna huffed in scoff.

"Not perfect? Absent, Mother. He left Will on his own at fifteen."

"They didn't get along."

"He broke his arm, did he tell you that?" Deanna asked bitterly.

"A childhood accident."

"No!" Deanna shouted. She could not abide hearing her mother defend the man.

"They were playing some sort of game. That's how they relate to each other. It's all very primal."

"He was his _father_," Deanna pleaded.

"It was a very long time ago," her mother justified. "It's cultural."

"No, Mother. It's not. Bullying your child is not cultural. It's abusive."

"There are things he regrets. He wants to do better. People change, Deanna." Lwaxana watched her daughter, sitting across from her, her arms folded angrily across her chest. "It that really the issue? That you don't like Kyle?"

Deanna wished it was. Perhaps she could persuade her mother to listen to her if that was all there was.

"Deanna," her mother pleaded. When her mother said her name like that, it always made her feel like a disobedient child.

"You say that this isn't about us, but how can it not effect us, Mother? I love him. Perhaps we aren't romantically involved, but that doesn't change…"

"There are many kinds of love, Deanna."

"I'm not going to approve of this, Mother. I don't think you're behaving rationally. You hardly know him."

"How well did you know William all those years ago?"

Deanna reached up and almost covered her ears. "Please, please, do not compare the two situations. I know more about him than you do. And I can't approve of what you are doing."

"Even if it makes me happy?" he mother asked, a harsh edge to her voice.

"For how long?" Deanna asked. "And when it stops making you happy? Then what?"

Lwaxana rolled her eyes. "You sound like your father. Always ten steps ahead, finding problems that don't exist yet."

"Good!" Deanna cried. She would rather behave like her father than her mother.

"Don't act like a child!" her mother scolded.

Deanna stood from the couch. "One of us has to behave like a responsible adult, Mother. And over and over again, that has been me. Even when I _was_ a child. I can't make you do anything. But I will not stand here and act like I approve when I don't. I will not pretend it doesn't hurt me. What you do, is up to you, but do not count on my support."

Deanna turned to go, as her mother stood up angrily. "How selfish of me to expect my own daughter to, just once, put my happiness before her own," she called after her, her voice dripping with disdain.

Deanna glanced back at her, but part of her knew that this is how her mother manipulated her, in every situation. Well, not this time. Deanna only shook her head and walked out of the room, leaving her mother standing indignantly, alone.

Deanna went back to her quarters for almost an hour. She hated that she cried. She wished she hadn't. It took her a while to be ready to find Will, to be ready to listen to someone else's problems rather than feeling wrapped up in her own. He was in the holodeck, and when she entered, she wasn't the least bit surprised to find him beating the tar out of holograms. It was one of Worf's programs, a bit gruesome, as far as she was concerned. She had surprised him, and when their eyes met, he looked almost ashamed of himself.

"Computer, freeze program," he called. The room was suddenly quiet. There was just a small hill left in the darkness around them. She didn't know where it was supposed to be. Maybe nowhere. Maybe just a figment of Worf's imagination.

"Hi," she said quietly, sitting down on the pile of dirt below her.

Will had worked up quite a sweat. He wiped at his forehead before he sank down next to her. "Hi," he responded guiltily. "I'm sorry for storming out like that."

Deanna shrugged casually. "It's alright."

"I shouldn't have left you alone with them."

"Your father left right after you. My mother and I tried to talk, but…"

"She didn't listen?"

"I stormed out too," Deanna admitted.

Will could see the red in her eyes and knew she had been crying. He wrapped an arm around her. "Oh, poor thing," he tried to console her tender heart.

"I tried, Will. I honestly tried," she said as she curled into him.

"I know."

They sat like that, alone in the dark for a while. "Now what?" Deanna finally asked. "Do we have a new plan?"

"I have my good old fall back plan," he offered.

"Ignore it?"

"Ignore them," he corrected. "We don't have to be supportive. Just professional. So distance seems like a good alternative."

"What do we tell the Captain?"

"That we tried," Will offered. "That it won't affect the mission."

"And the reception tonight?" Deanna asked.

"I don't really see either of them trying to approach us. Do you?"

Deanna thought about that look on her mother's face before she left. Cold, angry, and hurt. "I doubt it," she offered.

Will sighed heavily. "I don't know, Deanna. I don't know what to do. I'm not sure it matters what we do, honestly. If they have their minds set on something…"

"This… this whole thing… it never occurred to me," Deanna confessed. "Why do you suppose I never thought of it?"

"Deanna," Will chided her. "You can't conceive of every possible problem."

"But it's logical," she offered, even when Will gave her a scornful glance. "Data thought so," she told him.

"There is nothing logical about any part of today." Will said wiping at his sweat again.

"Is that why I'm so tired?" she asked, and Will laughed under his breath. "I could lie down right here on this dirt and fall asleep."

"Me too," he offered.

"Oh no," she said pushing him away from her slightly. "Not you too. You need a shower. You stink."

Deanna spent the rest of the day closed in her office, though she had only a couple of appointments that day. She couldn't face her colleagues on the Bridge, and she knew her mother knew better than to track her down while she was working. That room was her only sanctuary at the moment. She sat at her desk staring at the wall trying to counsel herself, to talk through the problem in her own head. Why was she so angry, so hurt? Was it because she didn't like Kyle Riker, didn't trust him? Was it because of Will? The thought of it made her cheeks flush. She could not have Will Riker be her step- brother. The entire thought made her temper flare. He was her Imzadi. How could her mother put her in this situation?

It was late when she finally left her office, mostly because she waited until she was sure her mother would be otherwise occupied. She hurried home, and cleaned herself up, before heading to the reception. She was, what they used to call, fashionably late.

Deanna tried to slip into the room unnoticed, but the Captain caught her eye and gave a quick nod, at least acknowledging her efforts. Deanna only sighed. She hoped Will had told him that it hadn't gone well. She heard her mother's laugh from across the room and looked, to find her with her arm wrapped around the arm of Kyle Riker. Oddly, no one else seemed bothered. They were surrounded by their colleagues from Earth and Batazed, and no one seemed to find it the least bit odd. Only the Sorronian's looked put out, but they always had that same feel of annoyance about them. Slowly Deanna realized that this wasn't a shock to any of them. They had probably been carrying on this way for weeks. Only the presence of their children had cooled their behavior.

Deanna knew her mother could sense her presence, but Lwaxana never gave the slightest hint of knowing her daughter had entered the room. She shook her head and turned away, wondering to the bar in the corner. "I don't suppose you have any _real_ alcohol, do you?" she asked the server.

"Yes, ma'am. The Sorronian's have made quite a point about no synthahol being served around them."

"Really?" Deanna asked. Maybe there was something that could take the edge off the evening. "Make me something, please?" she begged.

"Anything particular?" he asked, a bit confused.

"Something alcoholic," Deanna answered, before turning around and scanning the room for Commander Riker. He had probably gotten a head start in the drink department. But as she scanned the room, she realized he was nowhere to be found. "Data," she called as Data walked past her.

"Counselor," he greeted her.

"Have you seen Commander Riker?" she asked.

"Yes. Commander Riker is in Engineering with Commander LaForge. There was a problem with the lateral alignment stabilizers that Commander LaForge requested his assistance with."

Deanna's face fell. "Really," she asked with bitter disbelief. He had found a way of avoiding the reception and didn't even bother to tell her? He would pay for leaving her there alone.

"Counselor, if you have a moment," Data asked and Deanna eagerly agreed. If she were paired up talking with someone, it would be easy to avoid the lovebirds laughing away near the main table. She put her hand around Data's arm, her other holding her drink and followed him to the far end of the room where there were some chairs away from the table. Together they sat down. "I wanted to apologize for my statement earlier today. It was clearly upsetting to you."

"Oh, Data, no. It was fine. We, Commander Riker and I, we were just… shocked. We weren't behaving very well at all. I should be apologizing to you."

"There is no need, Counselor. But I did have some questions about what you were saying about your mother."

Deanna took a drink. "What did I say about my mother?" she asked. The whole incident had become a bit of a blur.

"She has been married eight times?"

"Nine," Deanna corrected. "One before my father when she was young, then my father who passed away, two more when I was a teen-ager, then there was one just before I left Betazed, and the last four have been in the last 10 years or so."

"Did they all… die?" Data asked, puzzled.

"Die? My father died," she corrected him. "The rest she divorced."

"Fascinating," Data muttered.

Deanna took another drink. "Colorful, I suppose. I'm not sure I'd go as far as fascinating."

"It was my understanding that divorce was… frowned upon in most cultures," Data explained.

"Oh," Deanna said taking another sip of her drink. "Well, maybe." She gave a shrug and tried to explain. "I think there are two schools of thought on my world about marriage. One is that there is a true love, that you should be with for your entire life, that you bond with. Divorce from your true love would certainly be a disappointment, and I guess you could say frowned upon. It would certainly cause a stir in the social circles, I'll give you that."

"And yet your mother has been divorced repeatedly."

"Well, the other school of thought is 'if you're not Mr. Right, you can at least be Mr. Right now'."

Data only stared at her, puzzled.

"Oh, Data. How can I explain? Some people will never find their true love. For them, it is better to be with someone they can enjoy. And when it stops being enjoyable or you've grown apart, the most natural thing to do is move on."

"So your mother would not object to you getting married and divorced?" Data asked.

Deanna almost snorted her drink. "Oh, I'm sure she would. She would find it disgraceful!"

"But…"

"She found her true love, Data," Deanna told him, glancing over to where her mother stood, happily on the arm of Will's father, the center of attention. "My father," she said, looking back to Data. "There are some loves that are once in a lifetime. And sometimes you spend the rest of your life trying to fill that void."

"She would want you to find your one true love," Data offered, and Deanna nodded, glancing over to her mother again. "How would you know if you have?"

Deanna sighed. "I thought I knew… once."

"But you erred?"

Deanna thought of Will Riker all those years ago and felt her heart swell with emotions, until she almost felt a tear in her eye. "I don't know, Data." Was that it? Was that why she was so angry with her mother? Was she taking away her one chance at true love, wasting it away on a momentary thrill?

"Counselor, are you feeling satisfactory?" Data asked her.

Deanna looked away from her mother and quickly wiped at her eyes. "I'm fine, Data. I'm sorry."

"Do you find your mother's relationships unsettling?"

Deanna almost laughed. "Usually, I do my best to ignore them," she admitted. "I guess in a very odd, incredibly selfish, childlike way, I take comfort in knowing that she'll never love anyone the way she loved my father." She looked over as she heard the group around her mother almost cheer and saw Kyle Riker lean over and kiss her mother. Deanna felt her stomach sour. "I find this one unsettling, yes," she said flatly. "Would you mind terribly if we talked about something else?"

"Did you have a topic in mind?" Data asked matter of factly.

"Anything else would be fine."

Data began telling her about some sonnets he had written, a formula for cat food he had tried to reduce Spot's problem with hairballs and the warp core output signature he had been analyzing earlier in the day, and to Deanna's surprise she was thrilled to listen to him talk. She could just shut her mind off and listen. It was moments like this where she reveled in Data's company. She didn't have to try to find his real meaning, to interpret the words from the emotions. It was a blessing, not sensing anything from him. It was cathartic, like meditating.

Finally the doors to the room opened again and Will Riker walked in with Geordi LaForge. He and the Captain shared a quick nod. Something told Deanna, from where she sat next to Data watching it all that Will had been given strict orders to make sure nothing kept him from this dinner.

"Sorry we're late," Geordi greeted Deanna and Data as they approached.

"I'm not really, but," Will said with a shrug. "Did I miss anything?"

"They were kissing," Deanna told him, with a sour look on her face.

"Here?"

"Oh, yes. Just like it was the most natural thing."

"Anything else?" he asked.

Deanna tapped at the rim of her glass. "Real alcohol," she told him. That seemed to perk him up. He might make it through the night yet.

"Interesting. You need another?

"I need about 10 others, especially since you left me here alone," she said bitterly.

"I was working!"

"Right," Deanna muttered.

"Geordi, tell her I was working," Will pleaded.

"I really did ask for his help. I don't know what happened with the alignment. It's never done something like that before."

"Will broke it," Deanna told him. "He broke it to avoid the reception."

"I did not!" he argued, then reconsidered. "Not that it'd be beneath me or anything, it just didn't occur to me."

The group around them laughed, except for Deanna. "You left me here with them kissing," she protested.

"Yeah, but you had alcohol!" he said reassuringly and then headed towards the bar himself.

"You two better watch out," Geordi urged, pointing towards Deanna's half empty glass. "You're not used to that."

"All the better," Deanna sighed.

"That bad?" Geordi asked, looking over his shoulder to their parents.

Deanna just stared back at him.

"You know, my roommate at the academy, his grandparents were step siblings," Geordi offered.

Will had just walked back to the group, drink in hand and looked to Deanna a bit puzzled by the statement.

"I think they were older when their parent's got married and…Not that I'm saying that the two of you… I mean I'm just saying that just because they're you know, doing whatever it is that they're doing," he said gesturing slightly to their parents behind him, "it doesn't really have any impact on…" but the more Geordi talked, the more cross the looks on the counselor and commander's faces grew.

"Whose side are you on?" Deanna asked, bitterly.

"No sides, I was just…"

"Yeah, you know, he's right," Will said, sitting down next to Deanna. "I mean why would it change anything about our lives?" he said, his tone deeply sarcastic.

"We could take family vacations together!" Deanna chimed in.

"And it certainly wouldn't keep us from, you know, getting married, having kids…"

"They'd have one complete set of grandparents," Deanna offered. "And when they were old enough, I'd just have to explain, 'see Timmy, that nice man you call Daddy, he's also your uncle!'"

"Any we are really, really sorry about your webbed feet," Will added seriously, and Deanna laughed.

"Interesting," Data said, studying them. "You do understand, Commander, that even if your parents were to marry, that you and Counselor Troi would be no more closely genetically related than you are now, making any chance of a birth defect, such as webbed feet no more or less a statistical probability."

"They're metaphorical webbed feet, Data," Will told him.

"I see."

"But we're laughing about it. That's a step in the grieving process, right?" he asked her.

"Not technically," Deanna answered, but it did feel good to laugh for a moment at the absurdity of it.

They talked for a few more minutes before the Captain motioned for them to join him at the table. The dinner was ready to begin. But just as they were reaching their seats, the chirp of the communication system interrupted. "Commander LaForge, the alignment is complete, but the system is not coming back on line," an ensign called.

"On my way," Geordi answered tapping his COM badge. "Commander?"

Will needed no further invitation. "Of course." He turned to Deanna and whispered, "Duty calls."

"Don't," she bit back. "Don't do it. Don't leave me here." But it was too late. Will was explaining the issue to the Captain, and also to the delegates, reassuring everyone that it would not delay their journey, and then he and Geordi were off, out the door and safe from the disapproving glances Deanna was receiving from her mother.

It was a full two hours before the system was up and running. Granted, he hadn't exactly been pushing the engineering crew to move it along. He knew it was wrong, but it was easier than sitting in that room all night with his father touching Deanna's mother like it were normal. Will doubted there was much of the reception left going on but he promised he'd report in to the Captain and the computer told him the Captain was still there. He and Geordi walked out of the lift together.

"The counselor's going to be mad at you," Geordi almost sang.

"That's nothing new," Will offered as they rounded the corner and headed back into the dining hall.

The Captain was talking with Jonathan Durrant, one of his father's assistance, and a member of the Sorronian delegation whose name Will hadn't committed to memory, and he looked relieved for the interruption. "Commander," the Captain called. "An update?"

"The stabilizers are functioning normally, Sir. And the ship has returned to full speed."

"Excellent, thank you."

Will gave the Captain a quick nod before glancing around at the rest of the room as the two delegates bid the Captain good night.

"Commander," Will heard a soft voice from behind him.

"Guinan," he said as he turned to greet her.

"If you're done with that problem, you may want to deal with the personnel issue."

"What personnel issue?" Will asked confused.

With a rueful point she indicated the far side of the room, where Beverly Crusher was sitting next to Deanna. Geordi had already made his way over and was looking back to Will nervously, while Worf and Data mulled nearby.

Will made his way across the room. "Hey there, everybody," he called casually, trying to feel out the scenario. "What's going on?"

"I told her to take it easy, Sir," Geordi answered.

Will looked back to the only two women in the room. Beverly sat protectively close to Deanna, who sat rather too casually, a new drink in her hand. Will glanced back to Guinan as she scurried around the room cleaning up and she gave a nod, as if he was on the right track. "Deanna, what's that there?" he asked, trying not to sound too accusing.

"Lovely, lovely alcohol," she responded, her voice ever so slightly slurred.

"Wow," he muttered. Maybe this was worse than he thought.

"Calm down, Commander," she said bitterly. "It's juice with… something else. I don't really remember what. Want some?" she asked offering him the glass.

That was as good a way as any, he thought as he reached for her glass and took a sip. "Ahgh," Will sputtered. "That is a little tiny bit of fruit juice and a whole lot of vodka."

"It's good," Deanna said taking the glass back from him and taking another drink.

"Yeah, but maybe you're had enough," he suggested, reaching for the drink, only to have her snatch it away. "How many of these have you had?"

Deanna only shrugged her shoulders, innocently, but Guinan wandered by and held up six fingers.

"Six?" Will gasped loudly, then glanced to the other end of the room where the Captain was just ushering the last delegate out. "Okay, six," he said more softly, forcefully taking the glass from her.

"They were _kissing_!" Deanna argued her case. "And you just left me here. I could have gone to engineering!"

"Yes, you're known the ship over for your engineering skills. I think the Captain would have bought that."

"And he was just as bad as the others, just acting like it was no big deal… like he bought right into it."

"What it that I was buying, Number One?" the Captain asked coming up behind him and Will froze, feeling caught red handed.

"Nothing, Sir. We were just… I was going to walk Deanna home."

"Seems a prudent move," he said with that knowing look.

If Will thought he was keeping the fact that one of his officers was tipsy from the Captain he was mistaken. Will hoped she hadn't made a scene, but the look on the Captain's face told him that he had the situation contained. Will glanced around the room again, just to make sure there were no lingering guests.

"They're gone," Deanna muttered.

"Who?"

"Our parents, that's who. They left together, by the way. It was… lovely," she said with a shake of her head.

"Well, I say we follow their lead and get you home. Come on," he said tugging on her arm, but she wasn't budging.

"Careful, Commander. You're starting to sound dangerously like a big brother."

"Well, the alternative's an angry Commander, so let's get you out of here." He gave another tug, but Deanna wasn't moving.

"Do you know what our parents are doing right now?" Deanna almost yelled.

Will could see she had no intention of going anywhere, and he sank into the seat next to her, drearily. "No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me," he said warily.

"They're having sex!" she declared to the room.

Will put his head in his hands. "Oh, thank you," he muttered, picturing the morning's events all over again.

"They are!" she hollered too loudly. "I mean do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had sex?"

Will dropped his hand and looked her in the eye. "Do you have any concept that you're sitting in a room full of your colleagues?"

"Oh, shut up. It wasn't yesterday for you either," she said bitterly.

"Okay, now we're in a room with all _my _colleagues."

"I'm just saying that if anyone of us is having sex, it ought to be us! Oh," she gasped. "That's it! We should go have sex," she declared, perfectly serious.

"Yeah, that'll show 'em," Will answered sarcastically.

"I'm serious!"

"And if you weren't drunk as hell, I might take you up on it, but you are, and I'm taking you home. Come on," he said standing back up and giving her another firm tug on the arm, but she still didn't budge.

"You know the worst part? The part that really gets me?" she asked.

"More than the sex? Because I gotta say, that's the part that really gets me," he told her.

"Do you know what my mother said about you when we were together?"

"No, but I'm willing to take a guess that it wasn't flattering, and I'm still in a room with everyone I work with," he answered.

"She said you weren't good enough for me," Deanna told him, as if it was some great revelation.

"I'm shocked," Will answered with his same sarcastic tone.

"I mean it, Will. Would you stop mocking me for just one minute? Can't you ever be serious?"

Will pointed at himself innocently. "You're drunk!"

"I'm making a point!"

"But will it make sense to anyone else?" he pleaded. "Come on, I'll walk you home, I'll get you some water…"

"She said you weren't good enough for me, but now it's suddenly okay for _her _to date your father? Let me tell you something about your father, Will. You're ten times the man your father is on his best day, and she thought _you _weren't good enough for me?"

Will couldn't help but smile at his friend who sat, so put out in front of him. "That's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me," he told her.

"Yeah, well…" Deanna shrugged him off. She was mad at him for leaving her there alone all night.

Will tugged her up again and this time she stood and he put a protective arm around her. "You probably won't remember it tomorrow, but…"

"I always think that," Deanna said softly as she leaned against him.

Will kissed the top of her head lightly. "Come on," he urged. "Things'll look better in the morning."

"Promise?" she pleaded, suddenly seeming very sleepy.

Will smiled back at her. "Well, not for you. You're going to have a splitting headache, but for the rest of us. We got free entertainment," he said with a shrug. Deanna started to take a swat at him, but it seemed it took too much energy, so she let her head hang against him. "Okay, party's over folks," he told the rest of the group as he ushered her away.

"It's the Sorronian's fault," he heard Beverly telling the Captain as he walked Deanna out of the room. Sure, things would look better in the morning. They couldn't get much worse.


End file.
